It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged
by OZ7UP
Summary: Hayate is visiting ex-Admiral Graham in England with Shamal. Teana's tagging along during a break from Enforcer training. And wherever Teana goes, Subaru's right there behind her. Takes place a year after Strikers. Least likely crossover ever. ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: After a long hiatus, I'm finally back with another fanfic, which I believe is the first ever "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha" / "Pride & Prejudice" crossover out there. If you're asking why, I just felt like writing it, that's all.

Disclaimer: MGLN is owned by 7Arcs.

**Pairings:** Subaru/Teana, potential Hayate/Shamal, the standard P&P pairings  
**Timeline: **About a year after StrikerS  
**Pre-story scenario:** Hayate and Shamal decide to pay ex-Admiral Graham a visit in England. Teana is currently taking a short break from her Enforcer training and, without anything to do, decides to tag along and learn about the planet that Hayate and Nanoha are from. As for Subaru, well, 'nuff said.

**Other things of note:** Thought speech code - _Hayate_, _**Subaru**_, _Teana_, **_Shamal_**

* * *

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

In today's modern world, it should also be said that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband or, depending on said woman's sexuality, a wife.

While not stupendously rich as her superiors in the Time-Space Administration Bureau, Hayate Yagami is considered to be rich for someone of her twenty years, mainly as a result as her rapid promotions. Her sexuality, however, is currently unknown, even to her loyal Wolkenritter Guardian Knights and her closest friends, and, as far as everyone is aware, there has been no interest on her part to find someone to be in a relationship in. Yet.

Subaru Nakajima, aged 16, on the other hand, is best described as having an average fortune due to not having worked as long as Ms Yagami (working in disaster zones does net one a pretty penny, though), but is already in want of a wife, preferably one particular Teana Lanster, aged 17.

Yes, let it be known that it is a truth universally acknowledged that rainbows are straighter than Subaru Nakajima.

It was a lovely summer evening in the English countryside as Hayate, Subaru, Teana, and Shamal were driving back to London after visiting the retired Admiral Graham. While Hayate was having a chat with the Knight of the Lake about how well the ex-Admiral was doing considering his age, Teana could not help but notice that Subaru was deep in thought.

"Ne, Subaru, are you awake?"

"I'm just thinking about something, Tea."

"About what?"

"About how beautiful an English sunset in the summer season is. I'd really like to get married here one of these days."

Tea snorted.

"No surprise there."

"I'm serious, Tea! I can imagine myself standing out there in a white bridegroom suit, next to my bride in white. It'll be so romantic…"

Tea snorted again. For someone whom Subaru saw as a future wife, the gun-mage was not acting lady-like.

"I'm pretty sure you'll find someone out there, Subaru. When you do, give all of us a call, and we'll set up your perfect English mid-summer wedding out here in the English countryside on Earth."

"I've already found the one person I want to be with for the rest of my life."

"Oh? Who is she? Anyone I know?"

Before the blue-haired cyborg could reply, Hayate pulled the car over into a stopover service station.

"Sorry guys, but since it will be way past midnight by the time we return to our hotel in London, we'll have to eat dinner here. Shamal, could you hand out the money?"

Subaru did not know whether she should punch Hayate for interrupting what would have been, in her mind, a tender moment, or if she should thank her for averting a potentially awkward situation.

* * *

Hayate sighed as she leant against her pillow. Dinner that evening had been awkward at best, and the ride back to the hotel remained relatively silent. Trying to distract her mind from earlier on, the brunette picked up the book she had started reading a few days earlier when she was still back on Mid-Childa. She did not really care if the book was written in English – Mid-Childan was a very similar language, and there was a charm about reading about life in 18th-century England in English itself.

_**Hayate**_**,** Shamal suddenly asked telepathically, _**are you sure that keeping Subaru and Teana in separate hotel rooms is a good idea?**_

_Shamal, Tea's trying to sort out her own feelings for Subaru. If we were to put them in the same hotel room, Subaru will be tempted to do something, which in turn will wreck whatever, if any, romantic feelings that our tsundere has towards her._

_**Yes, I know that,**_ Shamal shot back while taking a look at the sleeping cyborg, _**but…**_

_Besides, both Signum and I did something similar when Rein started crushing heavily on Agito, and it turned out pretty well, if I'd say so myself._

_**If you say so, Hayate. It's just that what you're doing reminds me of what Admiral Graham did to you, except on a smaller, not-so-destructive scale.**_

_The whole "being manipulative" part? Hahahaha, we'll see about that. Anyway, we should rest up now. We've got a day's worth of sightseeing to do before we fly back to Japan to see Lindy en route to Mid-Childa._

_**You just want to see the Beefeater costumes, don't you?**_

_I wonder what Zaffy, Vice, Chrono, Yuuno, Rossa, and Griffith would look like in them!_

Several telepathic giggles later, the lights in two connected hotel rooms switched off at the same time.

* * *

That was when it happened.

* * *

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Teana Lanster looks smashingly lovely with her hair tied up. As such, there are currently no words used to describe how divine the gun-mage looks with her hair down. Those were the thoughts that were currently running through Subaru's head as both she and Shamal entered the room that Hayate and Teana were sleeping in.

"Hayate! Is there a problem?" There was a worried look on Shamal's face.

"Cross Mirage must have picked up a really strong energy signature nearby," the brunette muttered as she put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Tea woke me up before she could fire off that emergency telepathic alert to the two of you."

[That is correct,] Cross Mirage stated. [There is a massive energy signature in the vicinity.]

"Could you try telling us what kind of energy it is?" Teana asked her Intelligent Device.

[I'm afraid not, Sir.]

"Subaru," the redhead turned towards the cyborg, "you've got Mach Calibur with you right? Could you…"

[I'm sorry,] Mach Calibur replied in her standby form, [but I'm afraid that I can't analyze the energy signature as well.]

"Well, can you at least tell us where the energy signature is coming from?" Shamal had returned to the room after sneaking out to gather some clothes from her own. "If it's hostile, knowing its location will help us devise tactics to sort out the problem."

The two devices paused for a few moments as they attempted to process the signature before intoning their reply together as one.

[In this room's bathroom, behind the wall with the showerhead.]

"Get dressed. Now." Hayate's voice had assumed its "I'm in charge, damnit" tone. "When you're done, activate your devices, and follow me into the bathroom."

Moments later, the quartet were in the bathroom, with Hayate and Teana pointing Schwertzkreuz and Cross Mirage respectively at the wall.

"So, what do we do now?"

"The energy signature is still present, but I can't see anything unusual. What about you, Shamal?"

"Nothing, I'm afraid."

"Are those hinges supposed to be there?" At once, three heads turned to face Subaru. "What? I'm a cyborg, remember?"

"Hmmm… I don't think these hinges are supposed to be here," Hayate muttered as she reached out to feel one of the offending objects. "They look as though they were built right into the structure of this room, but I took a shower just before we left to see Admiral Graham, and these weren't here…" All further words were lost as the wall started glowing before reforming itself as a door that suddenly opened ajar.

As the light show died down, Subaru approached the newly-created door, using her Revolver Knuckle to slowly open it further. Looking in, the quartet saw what they perceived as a hallway with lit flaming torches adorning it.

"Shamal", Hayate started as she stepped back, "would it be okay if you could investigate the situation with Subaru and Teana? As much as I'd love to explore this new place, it would not be fair to you if I went instead and if you ended up being accused of causing my disappearance, if that happens."

"I'll do it, Hayate," Shamal's voice was laced with a strong sense of loyalty. "Even though I'm no longer bound as a defensive program within the Tome of the Night Sky, I still consider it my duty to ensure your safety."

"Thank you very much, Shamal. I'm sorry if I seem selfish…" Words fell away into silence as the brunette found herself subject to a highly affectionate hug from the older blonde.

"Don't be sorry, Hayate. I'll be sure to return safely with Subaru and Tea. Besides, there's something I would like to tell you when I get back."

Letting go of Hayate, Shamal turned and headed towards the open door. As Subaru and Teana followed the blonde, Hayate could only look on at their retreating backs. As the door started to close, the brunette suddenly snapped into action.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yep, had this one up at the Anime Suki forums as well. The third one is also up, but I'll just wait for further feedback on it before I post it over here. As for this chapter, I "borrowed" some of the dialogue from Chapter 3 of the actual "Pride & Prejudice" novel.

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN - 7Arcs does.

**Things to note:** Thought speech: _Hayate, _**_Subaru_**_, __Teana__, _**_Shamal_**

* * *

Ms Yagami was a remarkable young woman. At the age of twenty, the blue-eyed Japanese brunette was already a Lieutenant-Colonel, and there was talk of her becoming the youngest-ever general to grace the Time-Space Administration Bureau. While some of the higher-ups in the Administration, especially those from the Ground Forces, still consider her as a criminal due to her role, no matter how unwanted it was, in the last-recorded Book of Darkness Incident, even they would have to acknowledge her magical powers as a mage – after all, if there was a situation that needed the big guns to be resolved, all one had to do was to aim one of Ms Yagami's Diabolic Emission attacks at said situation.

Of course, that would happen only if the White Devil of the TSAB was unavailable.

If one were to ignore the military aspect of Ms Yagami's life, one would simply get Hayate, cosplay enthusiast and appreciator of the well-endowed female body. Unfortunately, whenever Hayate gets enthusiastic about something, chaos will happen.

Perhaps it was Subaru Nakajima's Revolver Knuckle that allowed her to open the bathroom wall-cum-secret door without fear of getting pricked by a splinter. While we would never know whether there were splinters along the edge of the wooden door, there were plenty of fine cracks along it, as Hayate would later attest. In her rush to join Shamal, Subaru, and Teana, the brunette did not notice a loose piece of thread dangling from the bottom of her shirt. Just as said loose thread got caught in one of the fine cracks, the Powers That Be, particularly Lady Luck and Physics, failed to pay any attention to what was going on down on Earth, quite possibly as a result of getting into the Big Guy's liquor cabinet.

Face, meet floor.

* * *

"Hayate!" A sense of concern was evident in Shamal's voice as she retreated towards the now-closed door to help the brunette. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, Shamal," Hayate chuckled, "it definitely beats the time when I was learning how to walk after the incident with the first Reinforce."

"Commander Yagami, while I'm glad to know that you're perfectly normal, with all due respect, we do have a problem here." Blue and purple eyes turned towards to face Teana, who was gesturing towards the sight of Subaru attempting to re-open the door. "As you can see, we are stuck here."

"C'MON! Open, damnit!" Subaru was starting to sweat. The confined hallway, combined with her lack of sleep and the burning torches adorning the wall, was starting to get to her.

"Couldn't you use your Inherent Skill?"

"Ne, Tea, Oscillating Breaker works best against mechanical objects, and even if I do use it successfully on this door, the entire wood-and-brick structure of this place will definitely collapse. Besides," Subaru went on, not realizing that, to the others, she was displaying a level of logic that most people would never associate with her, "even though my weakest technique doesn't use any of our now valuable cartridges, using Revolver Shoot is still overkill."

All further words were cut off as the quartet suddenly heard voices coming from below the nearby staircase. Without wasting a single second, Shamal, Hayate, and Subaru held on to Teana, who proceeded to utilize her Optic Hide ability.

"Oh! My dear Mr Bennet," a female voice with a heavy English accent spoke up, "we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Everybody said how well she looked, and Mr Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice."

_Wait,_ Hayate thought out to the trio she was currently huddling with, _did she just say "Mr Bennet" and "Mr Bingley"?_

_**Uh-huh.**_

_Yes, I did hear her say that._

_**Hayate, do you know what's going on?**_

The woman's voice kept droning on from down below. "So, he enquired who she was, and got introduced, and asked her for the two next. Then, the two third he danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the Boulanger."

"If he had had any compassion for **me**," a male voice replied with a hint of impatience, he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners. Oh! That he had sprained his ankle in the first dance!"

_Oh, yes indeed, Shamal,_ Hayate thought back to the blonde as Mrs Bennet proceeded to inform her husband about how perfect one particular Mr Bingley was, _I think I know exactly what's going on, and exactly where we are right now. Ooh, I missed something. Subaru, Tea, can you tell me what just happened?_

_**The fat cow just got told off for talking about how**__** '**__**perfect'**__**this Bingley person is.**_

__

Subaru!

_**Hey, keep still, I can hear people walking up the stairs. The fat cow's also saying something.**  
_

"But I can assure you that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy, for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him!" Mrs Bennet was livid at this point as she continued to recollect her impression of him. "He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great! Not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set downs. I quite detest the man."

_You know what, Subaru?_

__

** Ne, Tea?**

_ You might want to consider calling her a queen bitch._

_Hey, you two!_ Hayate interjected. _Keep still! People just came up the stairs!_

As the quartet stood in the hallway and out of sight, they were able to notice the Bennet sisters heading towards their rooms, gossiping away about the ball they had just attended.

_You call that__ '__beautiful'?_

__

** Signum looks so much better than all of them put together, and she's a warrior who despises make-up!**

I think Vita will look cute in that kind of outfit.

_** All I can say is that they've got nothing on the Page 3 girls in that English tabloid newspaper.**_

There was an awkward mental silence. A second later, both Hayate and Shamal were giggling away with each other – after all, rainbows were indeed straighter than the blue-haired green-eyed prototype combat cyborg, and the casual telepathic comment only served to reinforce such an universal truth. Teana Lanster, on the other hand, was already struggling not to make any sudden movements.

_SUBARU!_

**_Girls,_** Shamal interrupted politely, **_shouldn't you be listening to what Hayate has to say about this situation?_**

_Thank you, Shamal. Anyway, given the conversation that we have just heard thanks to the very thin ceilings, floors, and walls, as well as the names that were mentioned, I can deduce that we are trapped in a reality set within a book known as 'Pride and Prejudice'._

**_Say what?_** Subaru's comment was blunt.

_With all due respect, Commander Yagami,_ Teana thought back, _but how did you come to that conclusion?_

_Lindy gave me a DVD set featuring a modern English girl accidentally trading places with the book's main character, Elizabeth Bennet, who happens to be one of the girls who we saw earlier. That DVD was what got me into reading the book in the first place._

_Is that so?_

_The whole 'hidden door in the bathroom' thing? That happened in the DVD._

_Very well, Commander Yagami,_ Teana pondered, _that may explain where we are, but not how we got here._

**_Ne, Tea, both Mach Calibur and Cross Mirage have said they could not analyse the energy signature from earlier, right? What if it's because such a signature is rare to the point there is hardly any data?_**

**_Well,_** Shamal started, **_approximately around the same time when the Book of Darkness activated in Hayate's bedroom back in Japan, both Nanoha and Fate were fighting each other for a type of Lost Logia known as the Jewel Seeds. Fate's mother, Precia Testarossa, wanted the 21 Jewel Seeds to open up the path to an ancient city where she would have the means to resurrect her dead daughter, the one Fate was cloned from._**

_Yes,_ Hayate continued, _however, only nine were used at the climax of the incident. Those nine were subsequently locked away by the TSAB. Not counting the ones that turned up in the Gadgets that Jail Scaglietti created, it is possible that there could still be a few scattered around Earth. After all, Nanoha, Fate, and the TSAB probably did not bother to search away from Japan.  
_

_How do these Jewel Seeds work, Commander?_

_Please, just call me Hayate. According to Nanoha, Jewel Seeds react to your strongest desires, and create something based on those desires. While I've been wondering what it's like to step into the world of Jane Austen, I was definitely unaware of the possibility of a Jewel Seed being found in this hotel, if such a possibility was true._

As Subaru and Teana pondered over the information by themselves, Shamal gave the Mistress of the Tome of the Night Sky a friendly mental jab. **_I bet we can already figure out their deepest desires, right, Hayate?_**

_Oh, definitely, Shamal,_ Hayate laughed mentally, _but what about you? What do you desire?_

**_Hayate…_** Shamal did not know how to respond without making the situation awkward. **_I desire…_**

"Ahem." Mr Bennet's voice suddenly rang out. While the male Bennet was completely unaware of the quartet's presence, his attempt to clear his throat had startled the reality-displaced ladies. As such, several sudden movements happened, causing Teana's Optic Hide magic to fade away. Turning to face the sudden commotion, Mr Bennet saw four pairs of eyes staring back at him. Hayate could only grin apologetically in response.

"Whoops?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. When I first wrote it up, the subsequent feedback that I got persuaded me to re-write the main portion of it, which resulted in about 1300+ words being cut out. It worked out in the end given that I wasn't happy with the first version, and I can use those extra 1300+ words as material for future chapters.

Anyway, regarding who's who when it comes to telepathic speech... _Hayate, **Subaru**, Teana, **Shamal**_

Last, but not least, I don't own MGLN - 7Arcs does.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Shamal's origins, along with the rest of the Wolkenritters' own personal life stories, are currently unknown, even to the Knight of the Lake herself. To this date, nobody knows whether the Wolkenritter, sans Zafira, were originally humans prior to becoming a part of the Tome of the Night Sky, or if the Wolkenritter themselves existed as computer programs right from the very start, and the only person who would know is currently playing a nice casual game of chess with the Belkan equivalent of the Grim Reaper.

When the Wolkenritter were brought about into their current incarnation as a result of the then-named Book of Darkness activating Hayate Yagami's Linker Core, Shamal was the one who made the easiest transition into behaving like a normal human being or, if one were to believe the words of the Blaze Commander, the Iron Knight, and the Guardian Beast, behaving too much like a human, if it was possible to call it by that phrase. The purple-eyed blonde would eventually share Hayate's love for cosplaying, and did not seem to mind the brunette's highly-physical fondness for, for the lack of a more polite term at the cost of being repetitive, the well-endowed female body.

As time goes by, however, things do change. Somewhere along the line, as Hayate grew up and blossomed into a stunningly beautiful woman, Shamal had started shifting away from being the brunette's adoptive mother, and had become more of a close personal friend. However, as Hayate began to cut back on the bathroom groping sessions, the knight could not help but start noticing the brunette in yet another way. While Hayate tended to be pretty rough and enthusiastic at times, the groping was usually done in either a playful or curious manner, compared to the maliciousness that Shamal's previous masters would display. Upon building a tolerance for the groping sessions, Shamal grew to appreciate her mistress' playfulness, and welcomed it with open arms. As such, when the brunette eventually cut back on the girl-to-girl bonding sessions, the blonde could not help but feel there was something missing in her heart.

While Shamal was still unsure whether she was starting to see Hayate as a woman or if she simply missed the gropings, she had sworn to protect her mistress, be it on the battlefield or off it. That was the main thought that was going through the knight's mind as Mr Bennet beckoned the quartet to follow him downstairs to the sitting room. However, upon entering the room, all cohesive thought was thrown out of the window as the head of the Bennet household attempted to prevent Hayate from sitting down.

The Knight of the Lake was definitely older than the one person who created Mr Bennet by at least centuries, but there was no doubt that someone was about to give early 19th-century England and its values a thorough 21st-century shakedown.

* * *

"Pardon me for asking, Mr Bennet," Shamal spoke up, "but may I ask what you are doing to my friend?"

Mr Bennet was confused. "I am afraid, my lady, that I will have to answer your question with yet another question, but what business do you have calling a person of her stature your friend?"

If it were not for the fact that Hayate Yagami had taught the Wolkenritter the value of human life and how to be compassionate for a fellow human being, the Knight of the Lake would have been eager to show how Klarer Wind can be used to hurt and maim others despite a lack of true offensive capabilities. In the end, it was Shamal's growing feelings for her mistress that won out – yes, she was, and still is, a healer, and she was genuinely regarded as the kindest of the Wolkenritter, but those factors did not play a part in her decision to avoid violence.

_**Hayate,**_ the Knight thought out to the brunette, _**I'm sorry for what I am about to say. Please remember that you will always be my mistress to the very end, but I will need to play against Mr Bennet at his own game.**_

_My dear Shamal,_ Hayate thought back, _I have complete faith in you. I will confer with Teana and Subaru regarding any further actions while you deal with our host over here._

_**Thank you, my mistress…**_ With that, the blonde looked back at the Bennet patriarch. "Tell me, then, Mr Bennet, what do you think of the present economic situation of England?"

"I'd say, my lady, that we are doing very well," Mr Bennet replied with a pompous tone, "with the recent emergence of machinery that run on steam power, productivity in towns around the country have never been higher! But, I fail to see the connection between this, and why you would call **her** your friend."

"Tell me, then, Mr Bennet, would you like to know how to further improve the country's economy?" Seeing the man nod, Shamal suppressed a grin. "What would you think of me if I were to offer the idea of treating everybody, from the Africans to the Asians, equally as your fellow white man?"

"That's preposterous," Mr Bennet snapped, "such an idea would be absurd!"

"Why, that's too bad, Mr Bennet," Shamal smiled, "but I do believe that if you were to treat them as equals, they will feel obliged to start working to repay the favor. If they work after receiving the correct training, they can boost productivity, and will get paid in proportion to their output. If they get paid, they have the means to buy goods, which means someone will need to increase supply of said goods."

Watching as the gears in Mr Bennet's head started to click into place, Hayate had to refrain herself from smiling as she walked over to where Teana and Subaru were standing.

_**Hayate,**_ Subaru sent a thought out to the brunette, _**what's going on?**_

_She's trying to use psychology on Mr Bennet to get him to treat us properly, _Hayate thought back,_ and I think it's working._

_I'm not sure if Mr Bennet would appreciate getting a lesson from Shamal._

_Relax, Teana, knowing Shamal, as much as she would like to give him a proper lecture as to why discrimination is wrong on many levels, she knows that he would be insulted if she were to do so, and just jumped right into giving him the financial incentives, and what better way is there to tempt a person than money?_

_**Looks like Mr Bennet has gotten the grasp of what Shamal has just said. Should we just activate our barrier jackets to give a bit of an impression?**_

"… I see, because increased demand will lead to an increase in supply, productivity increases, and the cycle repeats," Mr Bennet mused, "I must ask myself why I have never thought of this myself."

"With all due respect, Mr Bennet," Hayate responded, causing the Bennet patriarch to turn around and see the brunette, Teana, and Subaru dressed smartly in what he perceived as smart-looking, if revealing, combat outfits, "it is about time that you need to reassess some of your views."

"That is right," Shamal stated, having activated her Knight armor, "Hayate, Subaru, and Teana are all very skilled at their professions, and are all highly respected for what they do, regardless of their age, gender, and race. The brunette you attempted to prevent from sitting down earlier, she saved me from an evil force far greater you can ever imagine, and has taught me how to live as a human."

"I see." Letting what had just transpired set in, the Bennet patriarch swallowed his pride and held out a hand to Hayate. "I apologize for my behavior towards you, and I hope I can make amends, Miss…"

"Colonel Hayate," the brunette said as she shook Mr Bennet's hand firmly. "I am a commanding officer in the army that I am in, and my three associates are not just my subordinates, but are also among my closest friends. I must also apologize for our sudden appearance here, and I can only say that it was completely accidental."

"Indeed, Colonel Hayate," Mr Bennet acknowledged, with a hint of a smile on his face, "there is the matter of explaining to Mrs Bennet about who you are."

"You could say that we are temporary bodyguards." Four pair of eyes turned to face Subaru. "We will not get in your way, just as long as you understand that we will be following our own values, most of which will be in contrast to what you have been taught."

As Hayate and Shamal nodded thoughtfully at the combat cyborg's suggestion, Teana sighed. "I suppose we do have no other choice… Mr Bennet, we will be bodyguards for your daughters. As my colleague, Private Subaru Nakajima, stated, we will not interfere with your lives, but we will not look too kindly if your associates attempt to look down on us."

"Very well," Mr Bennet sighed, "I will see what I can do. If you excuse me now, I will be going to my chambers now. I trust that you will be sleeping in this room for the night?"

"Yes, we will be sleeping in here," Hayate confirmed, "and I pray that you have a good night's rest."

"I shall lock this door tonight so that you shall not be disturbed," the Bennet patriarch said as he was about to leave, "and I shall wake early so that I can introduce you to Mrs Bennet and my daughters. I bid you all a good night."

* * *

Later that night, Shamal was staring at the ceiling after several failed attempts to sleep. Looking over at Teana and Subaru, the blonde could not help chuckling to herself as she saw the two huddled together in their regular clothing.

_So,_ Hayate suddenly thought out to the blonde, _how are the two closeted lovebirds?_

_**My goodness, Hayate!**_ Shamal nearly sat up in fright. _**Don't scare me like that!**_

_Whoops, my bad! I'm sorry about that, Shamal!_

The blonde could not help but chuckle. _**It's alright, Hayate, just don't do it again the next time. It wouldn't be good if a medic died from an equivalent of a fright-induced heart attack. Both Teana and Subaru look cute while sleeping together.**_

_Oh?_

_**Yeah… I mean, I don't think they have confessed to each other yet but, having known each other for so long, they probably do this from time to time.**_

_Still, you're right, they do look cute like that._ There was a brief telepathic silence before Hayate thought out again. _Hey, Shamal, what was it that you were about to say before we were interrupted earlier?_

_**I…**_ Shamal had to ponder her words. _**I've been thinking a lot about you recently, Hayate.**_

_Hmmm?_

_**I've been thinking about how you have changed me for the better, how you taught me to be human, especially about having a sense of compassion for a fellow human being. It's just that…**_ Silence reigned for a few more seconds. _**I'm sorry Hayate, but I just can't tell you now.**_

_ I see._ With that, the brunette got up from where she was sleeping, and carefully made her way towards Shamal before lying down next to her.

_**Hayate? What are you doing?**_

_You look as though you have a bit of a problem sleeping, so I'm here to help you with that. Besides, as for what you wanted to tell me, I'll wait until you are ready to speak._

_**Hayate…**_

Shifting her position a bit, Hayate kissed Shamal lightly on the cheek. _Good night, Shamal. I feel safe just by having you around. May you have sweet dreams tonight, my Knight of the Lake._

* * *

Shamal would go on to sleep soundly that night.

* * *

More A/N: If you have been paying attention, you would notice that Subaru seems to be a bit smarter (or, at the very least, really thoughtful). I am going to enjoy mentioning this when I get around to writing about Teana in the introduction for Chapter 4.


End file.
